Track-sanding device.



B. O. LORING.

TRACK SANDING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 29, 1011.

1,040,554, Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

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TAT% PATENT @FFICE.

I BENJAMIN C. LORING, 0F PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES TILLINGHAST, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

TRACK-SANDING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

Application filed November 29, 1911. Serial No. 663,145.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN (l. LORINU, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Track-Sanding Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for supplying sand to the rails of a car track to prevent slipping oil the wheels on such track, and refers especially to that type of such devices which is operated by the means of a lever under the control of the motorman.

It iswell known that, owing either to atmospheric conditions or the jarring ot' the sand box or receptacle when the car is in motion or for both reasons, the sand tt'requently becomes packed so closely that it will not escape properly through the outlet from the box or receptacle when said outlet is opened by the Inotorman.

The object of the present invention is to provide an extremely simple and easily operated mechanism which will cause the sand to be sufficiently broken up in case it has become packed so that it will escape when it is desired that some shall be supplied to the track rails,

To these ends my invention consists in the construction and combination of parts sub stantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

01'' the accompanying d -awings,--Figurc 1 represents a vertical section through so much of the mechanism in one ot' its ombodiments as is necessary to illustrate the invention. Fig. 2 represents a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view similar to a portion of Fig. l, on a larger scale to illustrate the connection of the coiled spring with the cone-shaped valve cap.

Similar reference characters indicate the same or similar parts in all of the views.

A portion of the car floor or plat form is shown at 5, the sand box or receptacle 6 being mounted upon any suitable portion of said platform or floor. A tubular outlet 7 projects through the bottom of the sand box (3 and preferably is provided with a flange 8 by means of which said outlet is secured in position. Secured to the lower end of the outlet 7 is a pipe 9 (usually of flexible ma terial such as a rubber hose) through which the sand may be directed to the track rail.

upon said cap.

The upper end of the outlet is normally closed by a cone-shaped cap 10 having a pointed tip 11 and having saml-agitating pins 19,, which may be integral with the casting :lorming the cap or may be separate studs driven into holes in said cap. These pins preit'erably project in a direction substantially perpcmlicular to the sides oi. the cone so that, when the cone is lifted by means hereinafter described, the said pins will be caused to move somewhat sidewise through the sand that is bearing upon said cap. Owing to this formation, the pins may be quite short because it will be sullicient for the purpose to break up a rather thin layer of sand that is closest to or hearing The lower edge 13 of the cap is formed as a shoulder which normally sits upon the upper edge of the outlet 7, and around said shoulder is a flange or lip 1 L which over-hangs the outer edge of the top of the outlet, said llange or lip not only formed with a socket 15, the bottom of which rests upon the upper end of a lifting rod 10 which latter passes through a suitable spider or guide bar 1.7 and has its lower end pivotally connected at [8 with a lever 1.).

Said lever passes through a slot 20 in the .side of the outlet. 7 and is pivoted at 2]. to a bracket 22 depending from and suitably secured to the platform or floor 5. The free end of said lever occupies a position to be actuated by a removable :t'oot pin 23 by means of which the motorman may actuate the lever to raise the rod 16 and valve cap suiliciently to permit a small quantity of sand to escape under the edge of said cap. lVhen the lever is released, the cap will descend to seating position. To aid the cap in so returning, I prc'lerably provide a spring 24- having its ends connected in a suitable manner to pull the valve cap downwardly. The lower end oil. said spring may be secured by having its end formed as a hook 25 to engage the guide bar 17. The other end of the spring may be connected in any suitable manner to the valve cap. I have illustrated this connection as effected by ongaging the upper end of the coil spring with the socket 15 in a manner similar to a screw, the wall of said socket having a shallow spiral groove with which the upper end coils of the spring are engaged. This con nection permits the valve cap to oscillate or rock slightly upon the upper end of the lifting rod 16, so that the lower edge of said valve cap will automatically find, a close seating relationship with the upper end of the outlet 7. When the valve cap is lifted its pointed tip enters the sand and divides it, the shape of the cap permitting it to work upwardly sufficiently through the sand to open a crevice between its lower edge and the top of the outlet, this same vertical movement of the cap causing the pins 12 to agitate the sand so that no matter how closely it may be packed, it will be sufficiently broken up by said pins to enable it to readily escape through the crevice formed when the cap is again lifted.

While I have shown the operating connections as including a lever of the first order, I do not limit myself thereto, as any preferable connections for raising the rod 16 may be employed to suit the type of car with which the device is to be used.

It will now be understood that I have provided anexceedingly simple device of the character described which can be economically manufactured and which is durable and reliable and effective in keeping the sand at the bottom of the box or receptacle sufficiently agitated or broken up to enable it to be discharged in small quantities through the outlet and from there directed to the car track.

I claim 1. A track sanding device comprising a sand receptacle having an outlet, a vertically movable rod in said outlet, a cone-shaped cap for closing the outlet, said cap being free to oscillate on the upper end of said rod, and means for lifting said rod.

2., A track sanding device comprising a sand receptacle having an outlet, a vertically movable rod in said outlet, a cap for closing said outlet, said cap being free to oscillate on the upper end of said rod and having a pointed sand-spreading tip, the cap also having projections for agitating the sand, and means for lifting said rod.

3. A track sanding device comprising a sand receptacle having a tubular outlet, a coneshaped cap having its base normally resting on the top of the outlet and having a lip surrounding the upper end of the outlet and means for lifting said cap.

4. A track sanding device comprising a sand receptacle having an outlet, a coneshaped cap having an interior central socket,

,per end of said rod and supported solely thereby when raised, the base of said cap being adapted to normally rest upon the top of the outlet, and a spring connecting the cap and guide.

6. A track sanding device comprising a sand receptacle having an outlet, a coneshaped cap having its base normally resting on the top of the outlet and provided with sand-agitating projections, said. cap having an internal central socket, a spring having one end fitted in said socket, a rod passing through the spring and engaging the inner end of the socket, a guide for said rod, the lower end of the spring being engaged with said guide, and means for liftingthe rod.

In testimony whereof I have afliXed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN C. LORING.

Witnesses:

WV. ARTHUR GOUNTRYMAN, J r., GEORGE I-IURLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

